ethos

Ethos is a concept in rhetoric and in cultural analysis that refers to the character and credibility of a speaker or writer. The term comes from the Greek ethos, meaning character, custom, or habit. In classical rhetoric, ethos is a mode of persuasion that relies on trust and the sense that the speaker is ethically fit to speak on the topic.

In Aristotle's framework, ethos, logos, and pathos are the three pillars of persuasion. Ethos is understood to be established through the speaker’s credibility, which rests on perceived competence, moral character, and goodwill toward the audience. It can be present before the message (initial ethos), shaped by the message’s content and delivery (derived ethos), and reinforced or altered as the audience reflects on the conclusion (terminal ethos).

In contemporary usage, ethos extends beyond individual speakers to denote the guiding beliefs, values, and norms of institutions, professions, or communities. Advertisers and political communicators cultivate ethos by citing expertise, experience, or shared values to build trust. Audience judgments of ethos depend on context, prior reputation, consistency between words and actions, and ethical conduct.

Ethos is often considered alongside logos (logical reasoning) and pathos (emotional appeal) as complementary strategies. Discussions of ethos also engage ethics, since credibility can be damaged by deception, hypocrisy, or selective presentation of facts.